Reverend J. Clayton Whitaker
I was converted to Jesus Christ in 1972, after several rebellious and
wayward years, at the age of 19. At that time, I lived in Springfield,
Illinois, and was pursuing a career in “rock” music. Thank God for the New
Birth!
In the fall of that same year, I moved to Columbia, Tennessee, and was
reunited with my family. I joined an independent church that was in its
beginning stage. For the next few years I focused on simply getting
established, i.e., established in the basics of Christian faith; in being
a faithful disciple, especially in terms of church attendance and
opportunities for service; and as a responsible, hard-working citizen.
On June 6, 1976, Racheal Heather Smith and I were married. Shortly
thereafter, our church experienced a split. As a result, we began
attending St Luke’s UMC, in Columbia. We were refreshed by the love and
acceptance we experienced from the members of that church. With the help
our new Pastor, Rev. George Anderson, I began to come to grips with God’s
Call on my life.
In 1978, we moved to Wilmore, Kentucky, where I completed my undergraduate
(Asbury College) and graduate (Asbury Theological Seminary) studies.
During the 5 years we lived there, we attended First UMC of Wilmore, and
our Pastor was Dr. David Seamands.
Since 1983, we have served in the pastorate of The United Methodist
Church, Texas Annual Conference.
